Tony Blair's Legacy: The Two Tier Society With Antisocial Behaviour Underpinning the Second Tier.
Reducing standards to create the illusion of doing something have produced fundamental damages to medicine, law and government which are meeting with sharp protest and condemnation. The result has been the elevation of incompetence and the dark side of the human character to replace legitimate standards thus undermining society. This destruction of centuries of evolution reflects a throwback to an age of ignorance, superstition, power and abuse which will lead to turmoil as can be seen occurring.
Futher measures to suppress dissent will lead to a prolongation of the decline which cannot be sustained. Eventually a collapse will occur as happened in the Soviet Union where such suppression and central planning eventually failed. There will always be a struggle for freedoms of thought and expression and liberty free from the abuses of a totalitarian government. To work, however, what we call democracy summing up all these values requires individual responsibility.
1. David Cameron's arguments for social responsibility are well taken as was noted yesterday. The discussion continues today in the news with some of the problems which undermine responsibility emerging in the profound changes in the legal justice system which have occurred connected with obtain Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). Calling in the government for ASBO enforcement at the expense of fundamental legal responsibilities and rights is self contradictory and communicates a fundamental message that power makes right which is not based upon fundamental standards of fact and law.
An Independent article below by Ed Ceasar deals exceptionally well with this issue and fundamental change in the legal system in the UK. ASBOs are wide open to an abuse of power which is inherent in way they can be established on hearsay evidence which can then lead to a criminal offense and incarceration. Someone manufacturing allegations who can get others to provide evidence based upon hearsay can then carry on with false allegations which will claim breaches of an ASBO that will lead to criminal sanctions.
BBC News Monday, 23 April 2007, 06:54 GMT 07:54 UK
Cameron civic responsibility push
Conservative leader David Cameron is calling for a "revolution in responsibility" to counter a rising tide of anti-social behaviour.
He told the BBC Labour's "knee-jerk" reaction to any problem was to bring in new laws which often discouraged people from taking action themselves.
Less state intervention will be part of his "manifesto" for a better society.
Home Office minister Tony McNulty said Labour would take no lessons from Mr Cameron and his "hug a hoodie" Tories.
Cameron civic responsibility push
The Independent Monday, 23rd April 2007
Blair created 'irresponsible society', Cameron claims
By Andrew Grice
David Cameron will call today for a "revolution in responsibility" in Britain as he accuses the Blair Government of creating an "irresponsible society".
The Tory leader will argue that the Government cannot solve the nation's social problems, saying that state interference, instead of making society operate better, is having the opposite effect. Yesterday Mr Cameron told the BBC1's Politics Show: "My worry is that after a decade of a Labour government that said the state is always the answer, they actually created the irresponsible society."
Echoing criticism of Margaret Thatcher's statement that there is "no such thing as society," he claimed Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had created "There-is-no-such-thing-as-society Britain." He added: "They've sucked responsibility away from people and I want to give it back to them."
In a speech to the Royal Society of Arts today, the Tory leader will call for a change to the culture of British politics to end the state's perceived monopoly over social progress. He will say: "It's not enough to target specific instances of bad behaviour with specific state interventions. That is just treating the symptoms, not the cause. Instead, we need a clear vision of the good society as a responsible society, and work towards that vision.
Blair created 'irresponsible society', Cameron claims
The Independent Monday, 23rd April 2007
New Labour, New Britain: Taking liberties with our liberties
By Ed Caesar
Tony Blair has not heeded the advice of Tacitus. The great historian warned that "the more numerous the laws, the more corrupt the state." In the past decade, the Labour Government has pumped out 3,000 new laws - one for every day in power. Impersonating a traffic warden; selling a grey squirrel; detonating a nuclear bomb - these have all, comfortingly, become illegal.
More laws mean more transgressions. More transgressions mean more people criminalised by the state. As a result, our prisons are bursting. In April 2007, a record 80,000 Britons are residing at Her Majesty's pleasure.
If Labour's crime spree has been incontinent, its impact on defendants' rights, and the presumption of innocence - held sacred in this country since the Magna Carta - has been positively cavalier.
With the creation of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) hearsay evidence has become more integral to the judicial system. An Asbo can be handed out on the say-so of neighbour, or a local police officer, without recourse to a judge and jury. The penalty for breaking an Asbo is five years in prison. Effectively, hearsay evidence can help send someone to jail.
Tony Blair argues for Asbos on the basis of victims' rights - that those living in communities blighted by anti-social behaviour have the right to live in peace. "When we talk of civil liberties, what about theirs, the law-abiding people; the ones who treat others with courtesy and good manners and expect the same back?" he said, last year. "Don't theirs count for anything?"
New Labour, New Britain: Taking liberties with our liberties
2. Damage to the NHS by a decade of this Labour government's mismanagement is surfacing which, I believe, will lead to the demise of the NHS as known which will not be recoverable. I wonder how this anticipated "top up" for care will progress once it gets underway in a more significant manner? In addition to destroying the essence of the NHS as a tax funded, free medical service for all based upon medical need I believe that NHS medical care will soon evolve into a means tested service where people with means will be required to pay in accordance with their means. This will, in effect, tax those with money to pay for NHS services until they do not have any funds left. This appears to be a back door financing decision for the NHS which will be implemented on a creeping de facto basis.
The big question from me involves the massive use of NHS personnel in the community for these many years participating in the surveillance technology R&D and medical experimentation. Funds used for these unlawful and criminal purpose will have to be the subject of an enquiry. It is beyond belief that medical professionals would carry out such activity that results in deliberate harm to me while depriving others care who have a genuine need. Those who elect to pay for medical care are going to find it perplexing that these resources were drained away from the legitimate activities of the NHS. It will become especially important if and when there are requirements that NHS patients 'top up' for care which I believe it inevitable.
BBC News Monday, 23 April 2007, 01:10 GMT 02:10 UK
More patients 'top up' NHS care
 More patients are going private, say Doctors for Reform |
More patients will have to pay 'top-up' fees for private care because of budget cuts in the NHS and long waiting times, a group of doctors say in a report.
Doctors for Reform says the idea that health care is free across the UK is now a "political mirage".
The group has written to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt calling for a debate on NHS funding.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said patients had always had the choice of paying for private healthcare.
. . .
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We will never change the values of the NHS - universal, tax-funded, free at the point of need.
"Nobody should have to pay for any available NHS service, but patients have always had the choice of paying for private healthcare if they so wish."
More patients 'top up' NHS care
3. The civil servants May Day strike reflects discontent and malaise among the civil service which permeates this nation. The changes to privatisation, pay policy and what I personally see as abuses are impacting every civil servant throughout the land. It's ironic that the Labour movement celebrates May Day against a Labour government who has caused deep disaffection.
BBC News Monday, 23 April 2007, 03:46 GMT 04:46 UK
Civil servants in May Day strike
 The strike is part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions |
Tens of thousands of civil servants are to strike over pay, job cuts and privatisation on 1 May - two days before local elections.
Driving tests, passport applications and job centres could all be hit.
The Public and Commercial Services Union, which has 270,000 members, is also urging other unions to co-ordinate its pay strikes with theirs.
The Cabinet Office has called the strike "unnecessary" and says it values the work of civil servants.
Civil servants in May Day strike
4. £100,000 House Price Average: Gordon Brown has reset the valuation process of assets in this country away from equity investing by pension funds when he fully taxed dividends. There was a move into real estate along with other asset categories. While this might not be seen as a direct shift, it most likely occurred with a redirection of new funds inflow during the past decade and especially in the past five years. Those looking for housing for the first time are kept out of the market by those with wealth both individuals and institutions. This is another manifestation of the concentration of wealth. Housing is being bought for second homes or for income purposes by individuals and/or institutions.
There was a recent broadcast featuring this problem with an individual buyer who had to act fast because others in the housing market seeking to buy in order to rent were snapping up properties. These are investment decisions from those with wealth. Consequently, there is an obvious gap resulting which keeps the next generation from owning a home while making it difficult for all who are not already well along on the wealth ladder.
The latter are the ones the banks will favour at the exclusion of other members of the population. This is already occurring at the bank branch level which was a feature in another broadcast news report commentary where customer interaction at an HSBC branch depended upon very high levels of wealth, mortgage or income. The concentration of wealth with its exclusionary and negative social consequences is becoming quite serious which is reflected in house prices as described in the article below.
BBC News
Cheapest town's homes top £100k
 The lowest average house price in a British town is £104,738 |
Every town in the UK has an average house price above £100,000 for the first time ever, according to Halifax.
The town in Britain with the cheapest property is Lochgelly in Fife, where the average home costs £104,738.
The average house price for the whole of the UK passed £200,000 for the first time in February this year.
A north-south divide has re-emerged, with London prices rising 14.9% over the past year while average prices in the north of England have risen 5.6%.
Cheapest town's homes top £100k
5. Barclays in £45 billion takeover: concentration of power in financial institutions means fewer services available to fewer people overall and a oligarchy of control in the interest of the financial institution. Noises about customer service are gloss. These consolidations reflect financial services concentrating on wealth and the wealthy not human activity. Banking and financial systems are highly impersonal. These kinds of mergers result from problems the solving of which starts with the loss of almost 13,000 jobs. Will the problems be solved? No one describes the reality of these events.
An emphasis on wealth irrespective of means of accumulation and activity will lead to an increase in organised criminal activity which will be able to launder money through such organisations as casinos which will provide a veneer of unwarranted respectability. Organised criminals can take over and/or influence such organisations which fewer and larger financial organisations will overlook character due to the competition between them for these sources of wealth. The wealth accumulation and power by means of fear will enable organised crime to flourish unchecked by any law enforcement activity which will be subject to corruption.
BBC News Monday, 23 April 2007, 13:44 GMT 14:44 UK
Barclays agrees £45bn Dutch deal
 ABN's Rijkman Groenink (right) with John Varley who would be CEO |
Britain's Barclays bank has agreed to merge with Dutch bank ABN Amro in a deal worth £45bn (66bn euros; $90bn).
The move will create one of the world's biggest banks, valued at £94bn and with its headquarters in the Netherlands.
The companies said about 12,800 jobs would be cut as a result of the merger, while a further 10,800 jobs would be moved to low-cost locations.
A rival group led by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) may also make a bid but has delayed a meeting with ABN Amro.
Barclays agrees £45bn Dutch deal
BBC News Wednesday, 11 April 2007, 15:37 GMT 16:37 UK
HSBC's exclusive village branch
 All customers can still deposit and withdraw funds at Canford Cliffs |
Some HSBC customers in a Dorset village will no longer be able to see their bank manager as the branch turns into one of the most exclusive in England.
At its Canford Cliffs branch, the self-titled "world's local bank" will only allow face-to-face banking for its "premier" customers.
The move, which starts in June, means Canford Cliffs will be the country's only exclusively "premier" HSBC branch.
An HSBC spokesman said it has no plans to introduce such a service elsewhere.
The cheapest house currently on the market in Canford Cliffs, near Poole, is priced at £330,000 with the most expensive priced at more than £8m.
To be eligible for the face-to-face banking service at Canford Cliffs, customers must have:
- £50,000 savings
- or a £200,000 mortgage
- or a £100,000 mortgage and £75,000 salary
- or pay £19.95 a month "premier" account fee and have £75,000 salary
Other customers will have to visit nearby branches in Poole or Westbourne, although they will still be able to deposit and withdraw funds from cash machines at Canford Cliffs, which does not have a cashier service.
HSBC's exclusive village branch
6. UK Economy on thin ice: debt has fueled the acquisition of wealth and a concentration of power in the hands of a lesser number of people. This has, in effect, disenfranchised a large part of the electorate. The scandals now ringing this Labour government include the secret loans of significant amounts which may or may not have been made with the promise of an honour attached such as a peerage. The police report has now gone to the Crown Prosecution Service for an evaluation by them as regards to prosecution. What this really means is that influence went to the wealthy who supported this Labour government because the Labour Party would not have been able to survive and campaign without this massive infusion of funds.
The chickens are getting closer and closer to roosting.
BBC News Monday, 23 April 2007, 12:49 GMT 13:49 UK
UK economy 'skating on thin ice'
 The Club believes we are borrowing too much and saving too little |
An influential forecast group is worried about the risks individuals, firms and ministers are taking with amounts borrowed.
Ernst & Young's Item Club spring forecast said people are "overly relaxed about risk" and are "spending as if it was going out of fashion".
Club chief economic adviser Peter Spencer said: "The bottom line is that we are all living beyond our means."
The Treasury said the UK's performance and household finances remained strong.
The report highlights the current deficit in the public sector and expresses surprise that it built up at a time of economic strength and buoyant tax revenues.
"If the Chancellor is forced to borrow so much when the economy's so sweet, what will happen when it turns sour?" Mr Spencer asked.
"Ultimately we are all skating - not to say wobbling - on thin ice," he added.
UK economy 'skating on thin ice'
7. Mon Apr 23 07:18:10 BST 2007: very loud thumping music from below permeates the entire flat vibrating the floors as well. I had just finished adding the photographs from the video clip of the hour and a half of inline skate jumping/fence sliding to Friday's web journal entry when this very loud thumping music started. Documenting and reporting one antisocial behaviour coincidentally brings on another.
Sample 1: Music living room Monday 20.04.2007: 17:07:43 to 17:08:50 (DW_A1481.wav)
Sample 2: Music into the bedroom Monday 20.04.2007: 17:08:58 to 17:10:42 (DW_A1482.wav)
Sample 4: Music bedroom Monday 20.04.2007 17:13:26 to 1714:17 (DW_A1485.wav)
Sample 5: Music leaving bedroom Monday 20.0 17:14:27 to 17:15:40(DW_A1486.wav) (traffic noise and horn beep as I re-enter the living room)
Mon Apr 23 17:38:47 BST 2007: Very loud thumping music cut off at this point followed immediately by a door slam from below. This ended the noise nuisance which had been going on for about 30 minutes just enough to make a genuine disturbance and short enough to run away to avoid being caught. There is not much sense in calling the Noise Nuisance people at the Council because they are just beginning to respond by phone during this period of time. These people know how to manipulate and act with deliberate nuisance behaviour with which they believe that they can escape independent verification especially with the use of the surveillance technology carried out on their behalf.
What was David Cameron saying about responsibility as noted above?